CAT Driving Academy - Day 1

[Rick H]

Academy Day 1 - Performance Driving
Trainer - Colin Hoad.
Location - Millbrook.
Cost - Eye watering.
Car - CSL
Oil +0.8 L before & after
Tyre Pressures (New Supersports) 34psi all corners cold checked by Colin at start of day
Rear Tread Depth start ~ 8mm, end ~ 6.2mm inc 360 mile trip from home
Petrol used ~ half tank for the day
Dash Lights - Orange Radiator (on "Bow Tie" throwing car around trying to drift) but only for few moments before disappearing. Need to check coolant level.
Other Problems - Couple of misfires on way back to CAT base mid afternoon (Colin suggested Coil Packs) but no further sign since inc. 180 mile trip home. Need to pull codes.
Geo checked by Colin as ok on circular "g" understeer test.

Ok, thats the facts and figures. Colin is well-known in our community and many others and rapport was instant which is hugely important for a situation where we would be sat side-by-side for almost the entire day. He has a great sense of humour and the training is serious but not overly formal. There are no barriers from the start.

Firstly a safety briefing, rules and regs for using Millbrook, and a quick "What are you hoping for?" - "To drive like Chris Harris!" the reply. "Ok, that'll take 3 and a half days training and many hours of practice". I explained I'm under no illusions, I'm a normal, barely-average driver who's bought a scary, fast car, I don't want to hurt myself or anyone else and I want Harris's confidence behind the wheel.

Colin then took me out in a CAT car for a tour of the circuits and showed off some spirited driving skills on one of the circuits (handling circuit i think).

Throughout the day, we went through many things so I could mix up the order but I'll explain as best I can . . .

Braking - mile straight. ABS braking, brake and avoid and threshold braking up to 100mph. Aim is to roll off the braking just prior to ABS kicking in. This is essential for the work on the handling track later. On the runs back to the start, discussion on the importance of Observation; look where you're going and you'll go there - single input steering without scanning back is scary!

Off to a wetted part of the track to experience Cadence Braking - this is old-fashioned, pre-ABS pumping the brakes on slippery surfaces to beat the ABS stopping distance. I think it stopped us from 35mph around a metre earlier. Useful on a wet track and could get you round a corner when relying solely on ABS might have you running off.

On to the high speed circuit for a discussion and demonstration of throttle levelling the car by lane changing at increasing speeds. In the CSL it was up to around 40mph when a real difference in snap lane changes with and without gas was apparent, slamming the wheel round and lifting the gas unsettled the car noticeably, keeping the gas steady kept the chassis level and much more in control. The lesson being in a bend post-brake, pre-apex - keep the gas steady at grip limit; lifting will unsteady the car, accelerating will force oversteer (grip limit on supersports ~ 1g).

Next is Lane 5 at the top of the banked circuit. Here, Colin explained compliance steer - on the first high speed runs I was correcting the cars position with the steering wheel, but I needn't have - the lateral movement within the lane was compliance steer - so I needn't have moved the wheel, being a passenger is quicker, observe where you want to go (middle of lane) scan back and only correct if you have to. Bump steer also was demonstrated ~ short term disruption of the steering wheel due to road undulations ~ a loose but controlled grip of the wheel letting it move coped with this allowing the car to trace it's path to where you want to go. This was at 140mph (on the clock).

Lunchtime (best chips ever), then a road session involving important discussions on observation (look where you want to go and scan back to the bonnet) and more practice at single input steering and how road driving overlaps with track technique. Steering causes friction and friction slows you down!!!

Ok, back at Millbrook and we're on the circle of torture (steering circle), the toughest part of the day for me. Tight circles to demonstrate understeer (reaching grip limit), tipping in tipping out to bring the car back in line, then a shot at oversteer sent my pride and joy spinning off into the distance with much flailing of the arms ~ and shook me up a bit. Another few tries, then onto the "bow tie" for more exploration of oversteer - I need much more practice to drift successfully, but gradually began to get better control of the car with the back end hanging out. Colin picked up on my anxiety here which centred on the car ~ the loss of control was more brutal than I expected and there was a bunch of cones at the centre(ish) of the bow tie that would have trashed my £3k bumper etc.

We also did work on the Alpine Circuit to nail down further Observation and Single Input Steering and similarly on the handling circuit to iron out some problems. I was having difficulty getting the corners right and here is where Colin's approach comes into its own ~ getting this right takes as long as it takes, no rush, no pressure. After more laps and more discussion, we homed in on problems with splitting the corner properly, brake, steady gas, steer, apex, squeeze. We got there.

After this, some cool-down time, a coffee and a briefing back at base on the engineering aspects of tyres and the effect they have on cornering.

The climax of the day is bringing all the elements together on the handling circuit with three consistent laps within 0.5 secs of each other on which I was quite clear there was no chance whatsoever. I failed . . . however . . . the difference between lap one and lap two was just . . . TWO TENTHS, the third lap I knocked off two seconds so way out . . . but the two tenths difference is a great testament to Colin's skill as a trainer. I was gob-smacked.

After a quick de-brief and run through of the days lessons we parted company and off back to the hotel I went (goody-bag in hand).

In summary, this was an expensive day but to have Millbrook at my disposal (and barring a few Astons and McLarens, it was empty) with a great teacher in the passenger seat costs what it costs. Plus it was fun from start to finish. Looking forward to Day 2 in June at Bruntingthorpe for a day of grip limit training.

[need4speed]

Good write up, I have spent a few days down at Milbrook and Bruningthorpe with Colin learned a lot and had a great time in the process.

[Straightsix]

Absolutely fantastic glad to hear you had a great time
I always think far better to spend time and money on improving as a driver than on mods which lets face it you can't take with you car to car.
That's my approach.
I have used CAT Driver Training before and Colin is a great guy with so much knowledge and experience.

[Trawler]

Glad you enjoyed it. Be interested in the Bruntingthorpe coaching. Fancy it myself but have not convinced the mrs with my man maths.

[cslsuperfan]

Great sit rep Rick

Looking forward to Oulton in August

Brett's joining us for a lap or 2!!

[Rick H]

Originally Posted by cslsuperfan

Great sit rep Rick

Looking forward to Oulton in August

Brett's joining us for a lap or 2!!

Thanks Ben (although had to look up "sit rep"!)

Great news Brett is coming along too, but do we have to knobble him with pies and cakes to slow him down?????

Is he sharing the CSL or driving his own?

[cslsuperfan]

Originally Posted by Rick H

Thanks Ben (although had to look up "sit rep"!)

Great news Brett is coming along too, but do we have to knobble him with pies and cakes to slow him down?????

Is he sharing the CSL or driving his own?

Sharing Cesil....So the old man will get another lesson on how to drive his own car!!!

[Pip1968]

Originally Posted by Rick H

Thanks Ben (although had to look up "sit rep"!)

That is because he should have written 'sitrep' without spacing

Nice write up Rick. I did the same training a few years ago and then the Bruntingthorpe and more recently a drifting day along with Trawler and a couple of other chaps.

Pip